Field
Embodiments described herein relate to a protective coating that protects an underlying chamber component (i.e. the object upon which the coating is being deposited) or component part from corrosion or deterioration within a corrosive environment.
Description of the Related Art
In semi-conductor chamber component processing systems, the interior of a processing chamber is often exposed to a variety of corrosive or reactive environments. These reactive environments may result from either stable corrosive gases, such as Cl2, or other reactive species, including radicals or by-products generated from process reactions. In plasma processing applications, such as etching or chemical vapor deposition (CVD), reactive species are also generated through dissociation of other molecules, which by themselves, may or may not be corrosive or reactive. Protective and corrosion resistant measures are needed to ensure process performance and durability of the process chamber or components within the chamber.
Reducing corrosion of the chamber or components within the chamber also reduces the presence of undesirable particles within the chamber. For example, nickel-plated components are often used in process chambers to prevent corrosion from Cl2. Fluorine containing gases such as NF3 or CHF3, among others, give rise to atomic fluorine (F), which is highly reactive. High temperature CVD processes often use AIN heaters which are susceptible to attack from elements, such as fluorine based cleaning gases. For example, ceramic heaters made of AlN are attacked by NF3, which is often used as a cleaning gas in certain chamber component processing systems. The AlN heaters are generally expensive and it is desirable to increase the service life of the heater surfaces and reduce the presence of undesirable particles in the chamber.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for semiconductor processing components, such as ceramic heaters, having improved resistance to elements, such as fluorine.